ITS. ABOUT. DAMN. TIME! This woman is honey on my soul. Love her voice and her talent. She should be so huge! Keep Going Alice. Also, if you want to hear supreme vocals hear her version of "I Put a Spell On You." Oh dear God she's amazing!
Ain’t nothing you said a lie. The first song I heard her sing was Martha and I was hooked. There is such a refreshing and exhilarating sound that comes from her singing. And I love when she digs in because it grabs your soul.
ALICE, ALICE, ALICE!!! Girl, u betta not EVA stop making music. My life & my ears have been that much better since discovering your unique & captivating voice almost a decade ago. Infinite hugs & kisses, luv!
Saw Alice perform something a year ago here in LA and I almost came out my skin. I love this woman so much. We just want to put her on the cover of our magazine and give her the world.
That last song has me sitting in my work sitting Indian style hands tightly clasped together, eyes closed swaying side to side with a lump in my throat#HauntinglyBeautiful😔😍💞
The Alice Smith Fan group on Facebook has been waiting with baited breath for this Tiny Desk performance. We knew back in August that she'd done one and we were waiting for them to finally post it. Seeing her live is so much better, but she's still great here.
Alice Smith is plainly magnificent. As mentioned in a previous, strangely disappeared comment, if she seems to miss and flatten a note or two here, her opening phrasings, and various others throughout, are a descant to her underlying and implicit melody. In her own incomparably expressive style, but in common with the respectively unique styles of the singing and playing of other original artists like Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Richard Thompson, Archie Shepp and more, Alice alternates conventional melody with both descant and discord to evoke and provoke the emotional and conceptual sense of what she sings and writes about. She doesn't appeal to convention and she doesn't pander to it either. She doesn't do nursery rhymes, and brother, she won't sell out regardless of what anyone will or won't buy. The sense in her descants of being flat, out of tune or discordant is intentional; she often sings about the disjunction (discord) between hopes and wishes versus lumpen mundane perversity - or life and love gone wrong. Her discord at 0:38 is intentional for this reason and she intentionally does it every time she sings that song. Jingle bells, she doesn't do.
Goddamn it, nix already on mentioning the "lumpen mundane perversity," willya?! Next thing you know *everyone* will want some -- and bang! there goes the frisson of delusional exclusivity that sustains we, the naughty and haughty people just lookin' for kicks. ua-cam.com/video/ksOvnlDOa9k/v-deo.html
Love, Love, Love this woman right here. I've seen her live 7 times and it's still not enough. She's so massively talented and sorely underrated. I cannot WAIT to see her perform again this year. I'm sadden that I won't be able to see her perform this coming Feb 10th, in DC. She's is the TRUTH, with RAW TALENT and so PURE.
If you like this, there's more high-class pro video of the incomparable Alice from BET here: twitter.com/bet/status/924646... (Spell on You) and here: www.bet.com/topics/a/alice-sm... or here: www.bet.com/video/bet-experie... (She!) and none of these is viewable on YT. On UA-cam almost everything of her is just as you describe her. Try searching for Alice Smith Fire NYC, Alice Smith extplay, Alice Smith Glory, Alice Smith Arroyo Seco . . . . You've hit the jackpot.
The process you've just described usually ends with the best results. Sometimes music I like straight away I get bored with quite quickly. Music that you have to work on, get to know or understand can stay with you for a lifetime despite not appreciating it's value with the first few listens. 😁
Wait, who are the 60 that gave this a thumbs down, that is insane! This video gave me life, I didn't realize it was up on UA-cam or I would have commented on it long ago. There is no one like Alice right now, she is a phenom unlike any I have witnessed and my love for her grows with each show and recording!
Oh my word! What a tease this is. The second song was good. The last song has me speechless. I know she only does a handful of concerts in a handful of venues, dates please (give the people what they want)!
I drove to NYC three times to see last year, once to DC in 2016, but I live outside of Philly and have been waiting for her to come back. Have a fun!!!
Frankeee! As noted earlier in a comment that inexplicably disappeared, the missing credit is for the impeccably empathic bass of the fabulous and faithful Frank Carreno. Kristin Brooks' upper register at 9:59 is ethereal. She and Chauncey Matthews together are especially delightful here (8:33). Greg Clark's drumming is the soul of discretion. The boy Hamm plainly has more up his sleeve than just his arm. Alice is always incomparable.
Ohh my god, thank you for expressing what I'm always thinking listening to today's young female singers. Drives me nuts, I'm thinking, whaddya 12 years old?! And the killer is that many of them will be very talented, it just seems to be the style of vocals. When she came here, with her vocal line against those chords, I thought, ohh cool...!!
I’d love if we could appreciate one singer with no shade to any others, you know what I mean? It’s like when someone compliments me with a subtle criticism to my gender 😬
Number 3 by six. Alice Smith's, exceptionally emotional voice, harmonising and backed by two glorious vocalists with three of the most tasteful instrumentalists. That's all you need.
“Perfectly imperfect” is how I would describe Alice Smiths style. I enjoyed every moment of this tiny desk performance. The Band threw down, the Backup singers did just that “backed up Alice without ever overstepping her” and of course Alice was simply “Alice “ in all her Glory!! . Loved Loved Loved it. Keep it coming Alice. Ms Smith if you Nasty❤️
If you like this, there's more high-class pro video of the incomparable Alice from BET here: twitter.com/bet/status/924646... (Spell on You) and here: www.bet.com/topics/a/alice-sm... or here: www.bet.com/video/bet-experie... (She!) and none of these is viewable on YT. On UA-cam almost everything of hers is just as you describe her. Try searching for Alice Smith Fire NYC, Alice Smith extplay, Alice Smith Glory, Alice Smith Arroyo Seco . . . . You've hit the jackpot.
Christopher Ward, She did some in 2009. Here's one: ua-cam.com/video/luzw8I2O_3Y/v-deo.html and there are some other snippets from then on Vimeo. That was when she was contracted to Sony/Epic who it seems might have thought she could be a good product . . . I suppose that to play there or anywhere, she needs a decent, financially viable offer, which would usually come from a promoter. But they don't seem interested and she seems definitely not interested in doing any pandering to become a pop star. Maybe too, she's hard to get for other reasons of her own; but I wonder if she wasn't effectively blackballed for not playing ball with the Mr Bigs way back when. What's that old spruiker Jools think about it, I wonder.
The first time I listened to her, I didn't get her but then I saw her live last night (in Boston) and she was amazing! I'm glad I went. She claimed her voice was not in good shape. She could've fooled me. She sounded AMAZING!
Every time I come here she makes me remember how a songstress sings...my sister use to do the same thing when she could not remember the words.. when you can sing we don’t mind you forgetting the words and cussing..😇
Looooovvveee Alice and have a goosebump experience every time I see her live. Peculiar observation: her hometown audience, DC, does not "get into" her performance like NYC audiences. Too dignified, maybe? I have seen her multiple times in NYC, and the energy of the crowd is infectious and takes her performance to another level without "asking" her to wow them while she does anyway. DC sits back to be entertained like, "Whatcha got? Prove it to me".
Its a cultural thing, DC is more into funk, soul, jazz, R&B, NY crowds are more open to whatever, nothing wrong with either, i could understand they DC see her as boring or weird, she jumps around a lot
Just seen this for first time today. She is phenomenal. Same thing for background vocals and band. Keyboard man plays two instruments at the same time with such perfection.
My only complant, which is really more of a want, is this should have been longer. Over way too fast. Love Tiny Desks. Love Alice. 1 of the few rare, non-cookie cutter, (and GENUINELY TALENTED), artists that's not afraid to just be herself AND NOT LOOK OR SOUND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, and willing to show her feelings giving us a glimpse of her whimsical eccentric (and very real) personality via her music + live performances. This is a grown woman whose worked the dives & gigs for a while before getting any type of mainstream recognition singing grown music with thoughtful lyrics coming from life experience.
Her voice,the musicianship and the backing vocals are just perfection.
Seriously she's so dope
this girl so slept on
Yes…I think on purpose!
I was just googling to see if Alice has any shows coming up, as I do every so often, and I noticed that today is her birthday. Happy birthday Alice!!!
Her voice is beyond magical. What a treasure!
For Lovers, Dreamers & Me' is a classic.
Yesssss!!!!
Why have I just found you Alice, where is Alice and where has she been all my life 🖤🎼🎵🎶
Dang, she is talented! Love love
I said the same thing. I just discovered her a month ago and I am into music hard. I said how did she get past me? lol
Same!!!!!
Do I watch this every day? Yes. Do I care? Not one bit. Quite proud of myself actually.
ITS. ABOUT. DAMN. TIME! This woman is honey on my soul. Love her voice and her talent. She should be so huge! Keep Going Alice. Also, if you want to hear supreme vocals hear her version of "I Put a Spell On You." Oh dear God she's amazing!
Yes!
OMG her rendition of that will haunt you
Ain’t nothing you said a lie. The first song I heard her sing was Martha and I was hooked. There is such a refreshing and exhilarating sound that comes from her singing. And I love when she digs in because it grabs your soul.
Ouuuu honey on my soul....love it and very fitting.
Can someone tell me what's the name of the second song please 🙏🏼 I love her❤
So glad Alice is getting well deserved attention. She’s highly under appreciated.
ashr451 So am I!!! She’s so underrated & her music is so needed.
Frfr for years !
I feel like just appreciate and elevate her. Speaking on how “underrated” she is doesn’t really help her in any way. It only hurts.
@@c.carter3654???? Huh? Please expound on how that hurts her.
ALICE, ALICE, ALICE!!! Girl, u betta not EVA stop making music. My life & my ears have been that much better since discovering your unique & captivating voice almost a decade ago. Infinite hugs & kisses, luv!
background singers are amazing btw!!!!
Her smile brought me here.
Her voice kept me here.
"something" is a monster of a performance just raw emotion in the for of vocalization over instrumentation 😧
Alice Smith. The vocalist we've been waiting for. You've got more fans than you know.
Do it, girl!
Tiny desk just introduced me to another DOPE artist.
i know right @NPRTinyDesk #NPRTinyDesks #RULES
"Fool for you" and "the one" my favs by her
She's great! The moment I heard her voice I was totally captivated!
Check out Be Easy, Dream, Do I, Fegences, With You, Love Endeavor and Ocean. Her live shows are fantastic
@@inmyOWN_world put a spell on you is so beautiful
I never tire of alice smith and her craft
Damn her voice is so beautiful. And her runs are crazy.
Alice Smith’s voice is perfection ❤️🤩
She is SOOOO underrated!
Magnificent musician. ❤
Yes, she is.
Saw Alice perform something a year ago here in LA and I almost came out my skin. I love this woman so much. We just want to put her on the cover of our magazine and give her the world.
This is the Tiny Desk I've been waiting on! I'm a Superfan of Alice's.
This Jamaican loves ALICE SMITH MUSIC!!!! Talented UP!!!
That last song has me sitting in my work sitting Indian style hands tightly clasped together, eyes closed swaying side to side with a lump in my throat#HauntinglyBeautiful😔😍💞
No flashy fanfare. Just she and her band. Raw, real and simply amazing. 😎
GAHHH! My girl Alice! I am *so* delighted to see her. This woman's voice and presence... Her album "She" is one of my favourites.
That vibrato though. Glorious voice
Lord knows I love this woman 😍 So glad she had the chance to do a tiny desk concert !
The Alice Smith Fan group on Facebook has been waiting with baited breath for this Tiny Desk performance. We knew back in August that she'd done one and we were waiting for them to finally post it. Seeing her live is so much better, but she's still great here.
Definitely my favourite npr tiny desk performance
I don't understand how she has such meagre views when she put in 3 excellent performances.
Unique talent.......doesn't even start to describe her.
A hidden gem in my eyes
I Like This Artist And The Background Singers!!! The Musicians are Funky!! The Songs Are Exceptional!!! Great Arrangements!!
Her Sinnerman version is just simply amazing. Love Craft Country brought me to her.
The queen is back! FINALLY.
Alice Smith is plainly magnificent. As mentioned in a previous, strangely disappeared comment, if she seems to miss and flatten a note or two here, her opening phrasings, and various others throughout, are a descant to her underlying and implicit melody.
In her own incomparably expressive style, but in common with the respectively unique styles of the singing and playing of other original artists like Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Richard Thompson, Archie Shepp and more, Alice alternates conventional melody with both descant and discord to evoke and provoke the emotional and conceptual sense of what she sings and writes about.
She doesn't appeal to convention and she doesn't pander to it either.
She doesn't do nursery rhymes, and brother, she won't sell out regardless of what anyone will or won't buy.
The sense in her descants of being flat, out of tune or discordant is intentional; she often sings about the disjunction (discord) between hopes and wishes versus lumpen mundane perversity - or life and love gone wrong.
Her discord at 0:38 is intentional for this reason and she intentionally does it every time she sings that song.
Jingle bells, she doesn't do.
She bends notes & chooses unexpected phrasing very intentionally! Sarah Vaughn & Jill Scott come to mind in that sense.
Goddamn it, nix already on mentioning the "lumpen mundane perversity," willya?! Next thing you know *everyone* will want some -- and bang! there goes the frisson of delusional exclusivity that sustains we, the naughty and haughty people just lookin' for kicks.
ua-cam.com/video/ksOvnlDOa9k/v-deo.html
That intentional seemingly singing out of tune is haunting, enchanting & alluring...u wonder if she can do it again😄
Lovely isn’t it
Alice Smith!!!! Man....just everthing is good about this woman. People support her!!!
Love, Love, Love this woman right here. I've seen her live 7 times and it's still not enough. She's so massively talented and sorely underrated. I cannot WAIT to see her perform again this year. I'm sadden that I won't be able to see her perform this coming Feb 10th, in DC. She's is the TRUTH, with RAW TALENT and so PURE.
Beautiful! Props to the keyboardist for playing the piano and keyboard simultaneously!
hell yea, nice catch!!
Jim... RIGHT!!
he is also the keyboardist for Thundercat , his name is Dennis Hamm
One of my favorite singers ever
Her music is different, I really like it!!
She is an artist to be fooled with. She is in my Playlist. Her music is so soulful and is FIYAH. Her background singers are dope too.
seen her in Philly a couple years ago. she forgot a couple words then too but i love her voice. Love Endeavor is my favorite song of hers!
1st time listening: Hmm, this is a bit weird
2nd time: Wait, it's pretty good actually
3rd time: Forget what I said, this is amazing !
If you like this, there's more high-class pro video of the incomparable Alice from BET here:
twitter.com/bet/status/924646... (Spell on You)
and here: www.bet.com/topics/a/alice-sm... or here: www.bet.com/video/bet-experie... (She!)
and none of these is viewable on YT.
On UA-cam almost everything of her is just as you describe her. Try searching for Alice Smith Fire NYC, Alice Smith extplay, Alice Smith Glory, Alice Smith Arroyo Seco . . . . You've hit the jackpot.
perfectly put
The process you've just described usually ends with the best results. Sometimes music I like straight away I get bored with quite quickly. Music that you have to work on, get to know or understand can stay with you for a lifetime despite not appreciating it's value with the first few listens. 😁
That was fantastic ! Those backing singers nailed it !
Wait, who are the 60 that gave this a thumbs down, that is insane! This video gave me life, I didn't realize it was up on UA-cam or I would have commented on it long ago. There is no one like Alice right now, she is a phenom unlike any I have witnessed and my love for her grows with each show and recording!
Love her! So glad to see her on NPR!
Oh my word! What a tease this is. The second song was good. The last song has me speechless. I know she only does a handful of concerts in a handful of venues, dates please (give the people what they want)!
YAYYYY!!! She has such a unique voice and im happy she's here
I lovvve her... seen her everytime she came to philly... see ya in DC!
I drove to NYC three times to see last year, once to DC in 2016, but I live outside of Philly and have been waiting for her to come back. Have a fun!!!
She’s been around for a while I
Love her
God I love this woman. I get the most joy from her voice than I ever thought possible from a singer! Thank you Alice.
Frankeee! As noted earlier in a comment that inexplicably disappeared, the missing credit is for the impeccably empathic bass of the fabulous and faithful Frank Carreno. Kristin Brooks' upper register at 9:59 is ethereal. She and Chauncey Matthews together are especially delightful here (8:33). Greg Clark's drumming is the soul of discretion. The boy Hamm plainly has more up his sleeve than just his arm. Alice is always incomparable.
God, finally a girl singer that doesn't sing in a breathy baby voice. She's awesome.
happyfrancis lol... I totally understand this comment
💀
@@dahmeneekah that last song was captivating
Ohh my god, thank you for expressing what I'm always thinking listening to today's young female singers. Drives me nuts, I'm thinking, whaddya 12 years old?! And the killer is that many of them will be very talented, it just seems to be the style of vocals. When she came here, with her vocal line against those chords, I thought, ohh cool...!!
I’d love if we could appreciate one singer with no shade to any others, you know what I mean? It’s like when someone compliments me with a subtle criticism to my gender 😬
Tiny Desk never fails to show me gems I've been missing. Alice you have a new lover, and i´m going to get more.
I stumbled accross this gem after her performance at the Kennedy Center. Insanely beautiful.
New music from Alice!!! so.excited.
This woman is goals in every way.
Number 3 by six. Alice Smith's, exceptionally emotional voice, harmonising and backed by two glorious vocalists with three of the most tasteful instrumentalists. That's all you need.
Nice to see Ms. Smith back gracing the mic. Akways a killer live performance when she's in the room.
stylecollective Q
I watch this 10 times daily to feed my obsession with Alice Smith. I need the album already!
That's me too😁
It's out now!
“Perfectly imperfect” is how I would describe Alice Smiths style. I enjoyed every moment of this tiny desk performance. The Band threw down, the Backup singers did just that “backed up Alice without ever overstepping her” and of course Alice was simply “Alice “ in all her Glory!! . Loved Loved Loved it. Keep it coming Alice. Ms Smith if you Nasty❤️
incredible- mystery blew me away... havn't been struck by a voice and a song like that in years. thanks alice
Voice hits like a freight train, in the most beautiful way. Love love love.
The background singers, Kris and Chauncey, are killing it. & check Kris at 6:30! I'm loving it! and what about that band!
Starting my Thursday morning with some Alice Smith! 💓
I need all of her music. NOW!! Why isn’t she super famous?!? Wow.
She is so amazing! so much feeling, totally underrated artist. We need more like her. Enough people singing in tune out there
Alice Smith's voice is so sublime, and ethereal. Such a lovely voice! Thank you so much for uploading this video!
Loving that second song! NPR tiny desk concerts never fail to inspire.
Love Alice Smith such a classic voice.
I sooooooooo love this woman. She's amazing.
Just hearing of this lady, but my gosh! Absolutely beautiful.. Alice your catalogue shall be fully researched
Alice is new to me and I am really enchanted. She’s original and that’s perfect!
If you like this, there's more high-class pro video of the incomparable Alice from BET here:
twitter.com/bet/status/924646... (Spell on You)
and here: www.bet.com/topics/a/alice-sm... or here: www.bet.com/video/bet-experie... (She!)
and none of these is viewable on YT.
On UA-cam almost everything of hers is just as you describe her.
Try searching for
Alice Smith Fire NYC,
Alice Smith extplay,
Alice Smith Glory,
Alice Smith Arroyo Seco . . . .
You've hit the jackpot.
Alice should come and play some dates in London. She’d be a sensation!
Christopher Ward,
She did some in 2009. Here's one: ua-cam.com/video/luzw8I2O_3Y/v-deo.html and there are some other snippets from then on Vimeo. That was when she was contracted to Sony/Epic who it seems might have thought she could be a good product . . .
I suppose that to play there or anywhere, she needs a decent, financially viable offer, which would usually come from a promoter. But they don't seem interested and she seems definitely not interested in doing any pandering to become a pop star. Maybe too, she's hard to get for other reasons of her own; but I wonder if she wasn't effectively blackballed for not playing ball with the Mr Bigs way back when.
What's that old spruiker Jools think about it, I wonder.
The first time I listened to her, I didn't get her but then I saw her live last night (in Boston) and she was amazing! I'm glad I went. She claimed her voice was not in good shape. She could've fooled me. She sounded AMAZING!
Every time I come here she makes me remember how a songstress sings...my sister use to do the same thing when she could not remember the words.. when you can sing we don’t mind you forgetting the words and cussing..😇
Looooovvveee Alice and have a goosebump experience every time I see her live. Peculiar observation: her hometown audience, DC, does
not "get into" her performance like NYC audiences. Too dignified, maybe? I have seen her multiple times in NYC, and the energy of the crowd is infectious and takes her performance to another level without "asking" her to wow them while she does anyway.
DC sits back to be entertained like, "Whatcha got? Prove it to me".
Its a cultural thing, DC is more into funk, soul, jazz, R&B, NY crowds are more open to whatever, nothing wrong with either, i could understand they DC see her as boring or weird, she jumps around a lot
Alice is a treasure. She sings deep from her gut, probably her best strength. Love her live sessions.
My Life is about waiting for news of Alice. Grabbing any pieces of her voice.
That Man on the keyboard is sick! Great skills playing two keyboards and keeping in tune all the time. Well done to you Sir!
When Prince covers one of your songs that tells me everything that I need to know.
Just perfection!!!! Watched this countless time. Alice!!!♡♡♡♡ background vocals! Keys!!! Bass man and drummer are so so tasty!! THANK YOU!
"Sinnerman" from the closing credits of Lovecraft Country brought me here. Love her voice & had to Google her.
the 1st song had me. i love tiny desk
Just seen this for first time today. She is phenomenal. Same thing for background vocals and band. Keyboard man plays two instruments at the same time with such perfection.
Why the second song never reached any album? It's a masterpiece!
Yes!!! I love the second song too!!
My god. What a blessing her voice is to us.
I cant get enough of Mystery... Sounds so good👏💆
6:55 When the background singers started milly rocking on that glorious harmony 🙌🏾
Alice Smith - I've been waiting so long for some new music!!!! Thank you Tiny Desk❣️
I started listening to her music recently and became absolutely enamored with it. Mystery was the first song of hers I’d heard ♥️
So underground and underrated, Alice Smith is extremely talented, love this!!!
Yes,a beautiful track she's laid down with her group.
I never knew Ronald Weasley was such an amazing keyboardist! How magical!!
Lovely as always! This woman is simply adorable and just gorgeous! Can't wait to see he live in person!!
This was so superbly beautiful, and it never gets old!
She gives me like old school soul I'm happy I found her
i love this woman. that is all
I just discovered Alice, I'ma a fan now
Love love ❤ her voice sooo much 🥰 Been a fan since the first album
My only complant, which is really more of a want, is this should have been longer. Over way too fast. Love Tiny Desks. Love Alice. 1 of the few rare, non-cookie cutter, (and GENUINELY TALENTED), artists that's not afraid to just be herself AND NOT LOOK OR SOUND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, and willing to show her feelings giving us a glimpse of her whimsical eccentric (and very real) personality via her music + live performances. This is a grown woman whose worked the dives & gigs for a while before getting any type of mainstream recognition singing grown music with thoughtful lyrics coming from life experience.